Liturgical Moment of the Week: Liturgy of the Sacrament

Fr. Brian+

An Episcopal service is broken into two main sections: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Sacrament or Table.

The Liturgy of the Word

By now we have covered the Liturgy of the Word in our weekly newsletters:

• Collect (prayer) of Purity

• Seasonal collect

• Trisagion

• Bible readings

• Sermon

• Nicene Creed

• Corporate Confession of sin

• Prayers of the People

You may find articles on each of those items here: https://www.graceocala.org/gracetoyou

Now we move to the Liturgy of the Sacrament, commonly referred to as the Eucharist or Communion (note: Eucharist may also refer to an entire worship service where Communion is taken and the Word of God is preached).

“It is in the celebration of the eucharist that the Church most clearly acts as the Body of 

Christ, the people of God.” Praying Shapes Believing, Leonel Mitchell, p. 128.

The Peace

Some of you extroverts appreciate the bridge portion of the service, while some of you may dread it. The Peace is extended as a transition from Word to Sacrament, and a wonderful place to be friendly to friends, neighbors, strangers - everyone who has come to worship the Lord.

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

The Liturgy of the Table

After the peace is shared and we have a time of announcements, we have fully moved to the Liturgy of the Table. There are four main elements with multiple aspects under each element.

Those elements include:

• The Offertory Sentence - Jesus took.

• The Eucharistic Prayer - Jesus blessed.

• The Fraction - Jesus broke.

• The Communion - Jesus gave.

The Offertory Sentence

The Offertory Sentence is the line spoken after the announcements, before the celebrant vests with the chasuble and moves to the altar. The Book of Common Prayer offers at least six lines, all from Scripture, but allows for other statements to be used. Like me, you probably have several of these memorized.

Ascribe to the Lord the honor due his name. Bring offerings and come into his courts.

Walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God.

The words of these Offertory sentences emphasize a couple things. The sentence kicks off the offering of the congregation. God’s people give of themselves to make the Eucharist happen, just like Jesus gave, and continues to give of himself for us. Thus, the church is asked not only to give their financial resources, but to turn those resources into blessing God’s people, and building his kingdom.

When we say offering, we don’t just mean money; the offering includes the presentation of bread and wine to be used for Communion. It’s not grapes and wheat being offered - elements of the earth - but wine and bread - produce of God’s people for God’s people.

In the coming weeks, we’ll tackle the rest of the aspects of Communion. Use these articles as a way to both inform and prepare you for the next time you hear the words: the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ given for you.